Baylor coach Mulkey suspended for one NCAA tourney game

Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - Baylor head women's basketball coach Kim
Mulkey has been suspended for her team's next NCAA Tournament game for a
violation of tournament policy.

The NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee announced the suspension on
Tuesday for Mulkey, who made disparaging comments about the officials during
Baylor's regional semifinal loss to Louisville on March 31 at the Oklahoma
City Regional.

Louisville upset the top-seeded Lady Bears, 82-81, and after the contest
Mulkey had some harsh words about the officiating.

"I thought that all three of them, if they go past this round of officiating,
it will be sad for the game," Mulkey said at the postgame news conference. "I
thought the two critical calls at the end of the game were really bad."

Mulkey also received a public reprimand for the comments. The committee noted
that it's Mulkey's second act of misconduct during the past three NCAA
tourneys. The committee believed "a more stringent penalty is appropriate to
prevent these actions from continuing."

She also received a public reprimand for comments to the media during the 2011
tourney. Mulkey was upset Baylor was put in the same bracket as Texas A&M. The
Aggies beat Baylor and went on to win the title.

"The committee unanimously felt that the behavior of coach Mulkey was
unacceptable and has no place in the womens basketball championship," said
Carolayne Henry, chair of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee and
senior associate commissioner and senior woman administrator at the Mountain
West Conference.

The committee also announced it was withholding Baylor's team championship per
diem during the regional round of play. The suspension shall apply to the next
NCAA postseason opportunity that Mulkey will have as a coach, even if she's
not at Baylor.